• Ularitide, a recently fast-tracked drug in development for acute decompensated heart failure, has the potential to bring valuable new therapeutic options to a stagnant market
• Although the drug’s manufacturer, Cardiorentis, is a small company, financial backing and strategic partnerships will allow Ularitide to garner substantial market share

LONDON, UK (GlobalData), 17 February 2016 - The fast-tracking of Ularitide, a novel drug for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), has the potential to bring valuable new therapeutic options to what has long been a stagnant market, according to an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Ularitide, developed by Switzerland-based Cardiorentis, is in a Phase III clinical trial to test the drug’s efficacy in ADHF patients. Despite being a small organization, Cardiorentis anticipates positive top-line results from the investigation, which will be announced at the American College of Cardiology Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Sessions in April.

Elizabeth Hamson, Ph.D., GlobalData’s Analyst covering Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, says that while Cardiorentis’ size means the company has limited commercialization experience, it does have the requisite financial backing to make its drug a success.

Hamson explains: “The reason Ularitide is anticipated do so well is down to a $58.3 million financing agreement with US-based healthcare investment firm Healthcare Royalty Partners, which helped fund the pivotal Phase III trial.They also gained $60 million from private investors and appointed two new key executives with vast pharmaceutical experience, which together will help with the commercialization of Ularitide.

An important market for Cardiorentis to penetrate will be Japan, as it currently has no presence in the country, and has not conducted any clinical trials in cohorts of Japanese patients to compare Ularitide with carperitide, a drug used in a large proportion of ADHF patients.

Hamson explains: “In order to break into the Japanese ADHF space and gain substantial market share by displacing carperitide from the treatment algorithm, GlobalData believes that Cardiorentis will have to partner with a company that has a strong presence in Japan.

“The future looks bright for this up-and-coming Swiss biopharmaceutical company, and by forming strategic partnerships, Cardiorentis will have even greater potential to upend the global acute heart failure market.”